LOCATIONS

Introduction

Situated about three hours from Shanghai, Liyang is a clean, attractive city of around 800,000 people known for it’s cleanliness and efforts to protect the environment. Although it has a history of over 2200 years, the modern Liyang is a rapidly-growing city that attracts many tourists each year, drawn by the close proximity of Lake Taihu – a large man-made lake a few kilometres to the south of the city. The environment makes Liyang a very attractive place to live for any teacher who wants to experience modern China.

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Reasons why Shane English Li Yang is right for you
A relaxed and supportive work environment.
A professional company that appreciates its staff.
A clean, attractive city to live in
All our teachers have legal work visas with no hassles.
We are always completely up-front with our teachers.
Easy travel throughout China and Asia.

Shane English School Liyang has been opensince November 2011, and we have earned ourselves a prestigious name in a very competitive market. We promise our students the best quality instruction in the English language and we back up our promise with proven results.
We employ a professional, hard-working but also youthful, light-hearted and sociable team of native speakers and academic staff coupled with an excellent group of Chinese staff to support them throughout. We offer the best, fastest growing institution of English language excellence in the city.

China is developing quite fast and many of the conveniences you find at home can now be found here. In fact, China has a lot more in common with western countries than you realize. The public transportation system here is incredibly good and rivals those in the west in terms of efficiency and quality. Malls and supermarkets are springing up everywhere and you can practically find anything online with Taobao, China’s most popular online shopping website. Chinese people are incredibly friendly and will go out of their way to assist you even with the language barrier. You don’t even have to ask.

What is the social life like in China?

The teachers at Shane English create their own social events. From having barbeques to movie nights, there is always something on the calendar. Shanghai offers much of the nightlife you find at home. There lots of bars, restaurants, clubs, stores and supermarkets that caters to the expat community. In addition, there are a lot of museums, galleries and other places of interest to keep you occupied.

Are the street signs and transportation all in Chinese? What if I get lost?

In most cities, roads signs have the alphabet as well as Chinese characters. The subways are incredibly easy to navigate and transportation is usually very convenient. You will be picked up at the airport by one of our welfare officers and they will help you to navigate the city as well. If you ever have any problems getting around, you can easily ask the welfare officer or other teachers for help.

How will I find a place to live?

We will show you a number of apartments from which to choose. You can also send us your preferences and we will do our best to find apartments that meet your requirements. Some schools provide free housing for their teachers while others provide housing assistance.

What’s teaching like? I’m a bit nervous!

Everybody is nervous about his or her first class! That’s very natural, but you will have the support of other teachers and your manager to help you plan your lesson and talk about any concerns you have. Usually the nerves go away after a few classes. Don’t worry, teaching is lots of fun!

How do will I be able to get my daily necessities if I don’t speak Chinese?

At Shane English, we have an incredibly good support system. Our welfare officers will assist you wherever possible. A lot of schools will offer Chinese classes and you only need the basics to get around without help. This can be learnt in less than a week! Teachers at our schools also form very close groups and will be more than happy to help you.

How do I teach English if I can’t speak Chinese?

We immerse our students completely in English so it’s better if you don’t speak Chinese at all! We will also give you sufficient training so that you are equipped to teach without knowing a single word of the native language.

Can anyone help me to translate and keep discipline in class?

We like to keep the classes completely immersed in English so we prefer not to have any Chinese at all in class, however there is a Chinese teaching assistant in all of your classes who will be there to support you the whole way. Of course as the teacher you should control the class, but the TA will definitely help you to demonstrate activities and help keep the kids in line.

How many students are there per class?

At Shane English learning centers, class sizes won’t exceed 16 students. On average, there are about ten students per classes. We also offer one to one classes and teach at other locations like kindergartens and public schools where classes average about 30 students.

How long does it take to plan a lesson? Do I have office hours to plan?

You may be given office hours from time to time if you are under your teaching hours for the month, but they will usually have a specific task rather than be for lesson planning. Many companies do require teachers to do lesson plans in the office, we don’t. Your contracted teaching hours are the hours that you will be expected to work, so planning is in your own time. Planning time varies from teacher to teacher, but the more thought you put into the class, the more likely your class is to be successful.

What are my teaching hours?

You are contracted to work an average of 20-25 teaching hours. Contact hours will depend on your individual school and sometimes the time of the year. Most schools will run special courses during the summer and winter school breaks. Shane English schools don’t usually have office hours beyond the hours you are contracted to teach.

What salary do you pay?

Shane English offers a very competitive salary package. This is based on school location and position. In smaller locations, the cost of living is much less than the bigger cities, which means you are likely to save much more.

Will I earn enough money to support myself?

You will be able to afford a very good standard of living on your salary. In fact, you would be able to see and do a lot more as your salary would afford a much stronger purchasing power than you are used to at home. You will be able to save without limiting your lifestyle. How much you save is entirely up to you. (See cost of living for details.)

How much holiday do I get?

You will get 22 days paid holiday during your twelve-month contract. These will include the national holidays?

What’s the dress code?

Shane English understands that teachers are at their best when they feel comfortable. Our dress code is smart casual. Details of the dress code will be sent in our info packet.

What opportunities for advancement does Shane English offer?

Shane English offers many opportunities for advancement. We put great emphasis on promoting from within the company, so if you have what it takes, the opportunity is available.

What happens if I don’t like China or teaching?

We have an in built support system to help you with any problems you might have, there are always people to talk to. You can grab a coffee or dinner with other teachers and managers and have a chat. You’re never alone! There are many teachers who’ve all had those “China moments” (in fact pretty much everybody does at some point!) so you will be able to get great advice, or even just a friendly ear when things get tough.

Feb 16 , 2016

Liyang’s main attraction is the 239 square-mile Tianmu Lake, a man-made lake a few kilometres to the south of the city. Known for its cleanliness and beauty, as well as its fish-head soup, Lake Tianmu attracts many tourists each year to Liyang, and this has resulted in a number of high-quality hotels to cater to this growing market. In addition, Liyang boasts over 30 scenic spots throughout the downtown area – including Shanshui Garden and Nanshan Bamboo Grove. You can also check out the China Tea Exhibition Centre or play a round of golf at Liyang’s beautiful countryside golf club.
Transport links are very convenient, and you can reach Shanghai in just a few hours by high-speed rail, as well as many other places of interest in Jiangsu province – such as traditional Changzhou – China’s home of dinosaurs, or beautiful Suzhou – with its canals and waterways.
Teachers in Liyang enjoy a close-knit, social community with plenty to see and do both in the city and around the local area. It’s a great place to enjoy a clean, healthy modern Chinese lifestyle while getting to know this fascinating country.